


You Float Like a Feather

by Dresupi



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Arranged Marriage, Ben Solo Lives, Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, Domestic Fluff, Dragon!Rey, F/M, Family, Family Fluff, Ficlet Collection, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Light Dom/sub, Meet-Cute, Not Canon Compliant, One Shot Collection, Parenthood, Post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Star Wars Alternate Universe - No Force, and they were ROOMMATES
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:01:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 5,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23281408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dresupi/pseuds/Dresupi
Summary: A collection of short Reylo prompts I've written.None of these are connected unless otherwise noted.I'll mark explicit prompts with an *.First chapter is the table of contents.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 69
Kudos: 97
Collections: Dresupi's Ficlet Collections





	1. Table of Contents

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Tune33](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tune33/gifts), [Pop_Rocks_And_Skittles](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pop_Rocks_And_Skittles/gifts), [multifarious](https://archiveofourown.org/users/multifarious/gifts), [cuthbert](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cuthbert/gifts).



> Title comes from "Creep" by Radiohead.

  1. Table of Contents
  2. Iced Tea || for wickedwriter916
  3. Dragons || for marblesarelost
  4. *Strawberries || for dearest-winter
  5. *Glitter || for Anon
  6. It's just until we produce an heir || for Anon
  7. Sharing a funnel cake || for pop-rocks-and-skittles
  8. Crisp air that bites your nose just a little || for pop-rocks-and-skittles
  9. My scarf’s stuck in the door of my apartment building and I can’t reach the keypad to unlock the door to the lobby, can you help me out, neighbor-I’ve-never-spoken-to-before? || for pop-rocks-and-skittles
  10. Come into the blanket fort || for pop-rocks-and-skittles
  11. A competition to step on the crunchiest leaf || for pop-rocks-and-skittles
  12. I’ve been crocheting this throw blanket for four years and it’s finally finished. Please pretend it’s big enough and cuddle under it with me. || for pop-rocs-and-skittles
  13. In quarantine together/Hanker sore || for mefiora
  14. I love a good grandpa sweater || for pop-rocks-and-skittles
  15. Life in the Fast Lane || for tune33
  16. Anemone || for Multifarious
  17. Dilaudid || for Cuthbert




	2. Iced Tea || for wickedwriter916

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fun Prompts 2018
> 
> Other tags: Banter

Kylo spat the cold, bitter liquid into the dirt, clutching his side. “What– why did you give me that?”

Rey raised her eyebrows. “It’s herbal tea. Chilled. Because you’re overheated.”

“I’m not over- _anything_ ,” he countered, pulling the heavy black cloak even tighter around his body. “I’m fine.” 

“You’re not fine. You’re still as stubborn as a happabore, but you’re not fine. You need to remove the cloak and let me look at the wound.”

He still had that pinched look on his face, but he nodded, reaching for the clasp of the billowing cloak. 

Rey was surprised. He must be in a lot of pain if he was willing to stop grousing and allow her to inspect him.

“Give me that,” he gestured to the tea.

“Oh, you like this now?” she asked, smirking slightly. 

“No, I hate it, but I’m thirsty. And…” he mumbled something incoherently. 

“And what?” she asked, untucking the black shirt from his pants and rucking it up to reveal the wound, which wasn’t as bad as she initially suspected. It looked painful, but he’d live to complain another day.

“ _Overheated_ ,” he muttered.

“Oh? Imagine that,” she quipped.


	3. Dragons || for marblesarelost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fun Prompts 2018
> 
> Other tags: Dragons, Crack, Crack Treated Seriously

Kylo’s words stuck in his throat. Whatever he’d been about to shout at Rey’s retreating form was now lost somewhere in the swirling vortex of questions. 

Her body was sleek with tan and white scales, mimicking the color of the sand on Jakku, most likely.

Her eyes were the same, dark and quizzical as she began to flap her wings. 

He might not have believed it if he hadn’t seen it with his own two eyes. 

The dragon snuffed, pausing long enough to give him a knowing look. He knew this was his final chance. That she was going to decimate this building and everyone in it. He’d heard of these dragons in legend only, and the only thing that seemed to remain a constant was their ability to breathe fire. 

He knew firsthand of Rey’s ability to breathe metaphorical fire in human form, he wasn’t about to doubt her dragon form. 

He sheathed his sabre, returning it to the holster at his waist as he climbed onto her back. 

And he knew, as she began to flap her wings in earnest and take off in flight, that he’d gone into this fight as Kylo, but he was leaving as Ben.

No matter what kind of internal fight he’d been having with himself prior, Ben Solo would follow Rey into oblivion.


	4. *Strawberries || for dearest-winter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fun Prompts 2018
> 
> Other Tags: Kissing, Making Out, Teasing, Domme Rey, Light Dom/Sub

Rey ran her fingers through his hair, tightening when she reached the back of his head. She pulled his head back and lowered her lips to his. He gripped the tops of his thighs, moving down to grasp at his pants where the fabric bunched around his knees.

He hadn’t fully realized the extent of her ‘no touching’ rule. That she could touch him all she wanted, but his hands had to remain in his lap. No matter how much she was grinding in it. 

Kylo grunted into her mouth, tongue sweeping out to taste her.

She tasted like the deep red berries they’d been eating, her lips slightly stained.

She broke off the kiss and tugged his hair once more and he moaned. She took the opportunity to feed him one of the berries and remind him of the rules. "No touching. Tongue stays inside your mouth.“ 

"Yours doesn’t,” he countered. 

“Are you complaining?” she asked, releasing his hair and immediately stroking it back from his face. 

He shook his head. "Never.“


	5. *Glitter || for Anon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fun Prompts 2018
> 
> Other tags: No Force AU, Neighbors AU, Exotic Dancer AU

Rey jumped as glitter shot out of the cannon she’d previously suspected to contain t-shirts. Although, in retrospect, it didn’t make sense for a male strip club to _give away_ t-shirts. They probably wanted you to buy them on your way out.

Her thoughts on strip club capitalism completely flatlined once she realized exactly what the glitter cannons were aimed at. Or who, rather.

‘Kylo Ren’ according to the announcer, but the odds that it was his real name were slim to none.

He was tall. Dark hair, from what she could make out… 

And he was completely covered in glitter. 

_That can’t be comfortable…_ she thought vaguely as her eyes feasted on the six-foot-tall mountain of a man in front of her. 

There was something very familiar about him, and she didn’t mean the glitter-covered man-candy on the poster out front, either. 

When he started to move, she realized what it was that had her face blushing and her heart thumping audibly in her chest. 

The glitter-covered treat currently gyrating his hips and thrusting his pelvis was none other than her quiet next-door neighbor. 

“Ben?” she muttered, frowning. She shouldn’t look, but for some reason, she couldn’t tear her eyes away. 


	6. It's just until we produce an heir || for Anon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arranged Marriage Prompts 2019
> 
> Other Tags: Modern Royalty AU, Arranged Marriage, Political Marriage

“It’s just until we produce an heir…” Ben tossed up one of the grapes in the bowl beside him, and opened his mouth, just in time for the fruit to bounce off his nose and onto the floor somewhere. He rolled off the sofa and proceeded to start looking for it.

His long limbs made his appearance comical, but she wasn’t looking to laugh just yet.

Rey sighed, folding her hands over her belly. “You say that as if it’s nothing. Which I suppose, for you, it is.”

He frowned, turning towards the overstuffed chair where she had taken up refuge. “It’s not _nothing_ , I assure you.”

She arched her eyebrows briefly. “Because of the energy you’ll expend during the actual act?”

“No,” he scoffed, finding the grape and blow a bit of dust off before popping it into his mouth. "I happen to take the continuation of my bloodline very seriously, thank you. We’d be creating a new being, Rey. A life that didn’t ask to be born, so no. _Not_ because the act of intercourse with you would be in any way taxing. I merely meant, most marriages are until death. _You’ll_ be free to leave me once you give birth to a live heir. Free to live your life doing whatever you wish.“

"After giving birth.”

“Only once,” he countered. “Think of your friends. Condemned to monogamy with one man, to producing child after child until they either die or grow too old. Not you. If we get going on this, you could be free in as little as nine months. Take the child to raise them in the countryside somewhere. My parents did you a favor. Not shackling you to me for our eternity.” He rolled to one side, sitting with a hard plop on the floor with his knees bent. 

His voice sounded cold and distant. It startled her after hearing nothing but snide chuckles for the entirety of their betrothal.

After thinking the prince wasn’t vexed about this issue. About his future.

As it turned out, he was. Just not for the same reasons as she was.

Rey pressed her lips together, leaning forward until she stood. She crossed the room, bending to extend a hand to him.

He looked at her hand as if it were foreign to him. And perhaps it was, seeing as she’d never once given it to him willingly. "What?“ he snapped, glancing up into her face.

"Would you like to go for a walk?”

“What for?”

“To cool down? I quite like the rose garden, myself… but you’ve lived here longer than I have. Maybe you know a better place?”

“My mother walks in the rose garden,” he sneered. “Of course I know a better place.”

“Show me?”

He shrugged and stood without her help. He did turn to grab her hand before leaving the room, though.


	7. Sharing a funnel cake || for pop-rocks-and-skittles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fall Prompts 2019
> 
> Other tags: No Powers AU, Fluff 

Rey approached the table, sliding into the bench seat and carefully maneuvering a funnel cake down in front of her. It was doused liberally with powdered sugar and smelled so heavenly, Ben’s mouth started watering before she’d even gotten settled.

He reached out for a piece and she smacked his hand away.

“Hey…” he grumbled, trying again. He got smacked again. “ _Hey…_ ”

“I’m not sharing,” Rey stated in a matter-of-fact tone that made Ben want to kiss her to make her shut up.

“Oh, you’re not? Funny, but I thought this was a date…”

“The powdered sugar will get all over you and ruin your goth image,” she teased.

“It’s not an image. And I want some of that.”

“It absolutely is an image. And I respect you for having one. Me, on the other hand? I just want to eat, so…” She popped a piece into her mouth and Ben bit down on his bottom lip, exhaling loudly.

“Here,” she said, lowering her voice slightly and breaking off a piece in her fingers. He went to reach for it, but she yanked it away. “Let me.”

She brought it closer and pushed it into his mouth. She licked her fingers afterward while he was chewing and he watched as she broke off another piece for herself. And then one for him.

She held it out, and he reached for her wrist, holding it still as he bit the piece from her fingers. And licked those clean as well.

Her eyes darkened the second his tongue touched her skin.

“Licking the sugar off your fingers is the best part,” she stated.

“I know. I wasn’t going to let you have all the fun,” Ben retorted.


	8. Crisp air that bites your nose just a little || for pop-rocks-and-skittles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fall Prompts 2019
> 
> Other tags: No Powers AU 

True to her word, she was waiting outside the restaurant for him after he closed up.

Loitering in the parking lot, if his manager had anything to say about it. But his manager hadn’t noticed her before he’d gone. Or maybe she’d shown up after the old blowhard had left.

Either way, Rey was waiting for him at his car. Leaning against the hood with both hands jammed in the pockets of her lined coat. The hood was pulled up over her head, which framed her face with faux fur.

The air was so chilly, it made him wish he’d brought something heavier than a hoodie along, but the second she looked up and smiled at him, Ben instantly felt warmer.

“You’re here,” he stated, reaching in his pocket for his keys. “Is your car–”

“I parked over there,” she tilted her head to the right and he glanced over to see a tiny blue hatchback nestled in the corner space. “You sound surprised… was I not supposed to–”

“No, no, I just… I just figured you weren’t serious. Thought you were just flirting with me to get free dessert or something.”

“I’m always serious. But the fudge cake was awesome,” she assured him, grinning from ear to ear. “And to be clear, I was flirting to get your number, but standing out in the cold behind an empty restaurant is fun too.”

“No it’s not,” he countered, laughing a little.

“No, it’s not,” she agreed. “But I’d like to get to know you better, so here I am.”

“We could eat…” he offered. “There’s a Waffle House nearby.”

“Lead the way,” Rey said. “Waffles sound perfect.”


	9. My scarf’s stuck in the door of my apartment building and I can’t reach the keypad to unlock the door to the lobby, can you help me out, neighbor-I’ve-never-spoken-to-before? || for pop-rocks-and-skittles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fall Prompts 2019
> 
> Other tags: No Powers AU, Neighbors AU, Banter 

“Look, don’t tear up the scarf, okay?” Ben muttered under his breath as the girl-from-his-building who he never could work up the courage to speak to in normal circumstances placed one hand on his shoulder to steady herself while she reached around him to punch in the door code.

She paused right before she touched the keypad, glaring back at him. “You know, if I didn’t need to get inside, I would just leave you here.”

“But you do, so you won’t, now hurry up,” he grumbled, practically kicking himself for screwing up a chance to talk to her.

“Patience is a virtue,” she paused for a moment. “I don’t think I know your name.”

“It’s Ben,” he answered bluntly.

“Patience is a virtue, Ben. And I’m Rey, by the way. If you want to send me a thank you card.”

“I have no virtues, _Rey_ ,” he countered. “Don’t hold your breath for the card.”

She punched in the code and pulled open the door, stepping back so he could work himself free. “You’re welcome, Ben.” She walked inside, pulling the door closed and leaving him on the other side of it.

Sighing, and taking a leap he didn’t normally take, Ben went to pull the door open again. Except it had latched, so he had to punch in the door code first. He followed her to the mailboxes.

“Do you like coffee?”

Rey didn’t even so much as look at him. “Like most people, _yes_ , I do.”

“Do you want to go get some with me?”

“What? _Now_?” she asked, finally peering up at him.

“No time like the present.”

She blinked a few times, her eyes narrowing to slits as she tried to figure out if he was yanking her chain or not. “Yeah… I have time.”

“Will that make us even?” he asked.

“For me helping you, sure. But you still have to make up for acting like a rude asshole.”

“How do you propose I do that?” he asked, stepping back as she tucked her mail into her bag and walked back towards the door.

“I dunno. A movie might be nice?”

“A _movie_?” he asked, feigning disgust, but feigning it badly since he couldn’t stop the treacherous smile from spreading across his face. “I have to take you to a _movie_ now?”

“Yep. And if you complain too much, dinner afterward,” Rey added.

“Let’s just assume I’ll complain and plan for dinner as well.”


	10. Come into the blanket fort || for pop-rocks-and-skittles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fall Prompts 2019
> 
> Other tags: Parents, Family, Family Fluff, Fluff, Domestic Fluff, No Powers AU 

Rey sighed and paused outside the flat for a moment. She hated bringing her work home with her like this. It had been a terrible day, and she wanted nothing more than to disappear into bed for the rest of it. Start anew tomorrow.

But neither Ben nor Mia deserved that. They deserved for her to be present.

When she finally opened the door, she was met with a sight that made all her stress melt away.

A blanket fort took up most of the living room and some of the dining room as well. Ben poked his head out, grinning apologetically. “Sorry, it’s so big.”

“No, it’s perfect.”

“Can we order pizza, Mom?” Mia’s little head poked out next to Ben’s. “Dad said we could if it was okay with you.”

“It’s fine with me,” Rey said with a little smile.

“Bad day?” Ben asked as their daughter ducked back into the blankets.

Rey nodded.

“Come into the blanket fort.”

A smile slowly spreading across her face, she dropped her bag and kicked off her shoes before crawling in.


	11. A competition to step on the crunchiest leaf || for pop-rocks-and-skittles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fall Prompts 2019
> 
> Other Tags: No Powers AU, Fluff 

Ben held out his arm to keep Rey from closing in on the leaf. Unfortunately, his actions were for naught, because while it was a large leaf, it was only deceptively crunchy-looking. It made barely a sound as his sneaker squished over the top of it. 

“Damn,” he muttered, losing his grip on Rey as she skidded forward to stomp on a leaf hanging out by a street lamp. It crunched loudly and she met his gaze with a triumphant grin. 

“I win.” 

“Best three out of seven?” he countered. 

“You’re on.” 


	12. I’ve been crocheting this throw blanket for four years and it’s finally finished. Please pretend it’s big enough and cuddle under it with me. || for pop-rocs-and-skittles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fall Prompts 2019
> 
> Other tags: No Powers AU 

Rey had been determined, from the time she was very small, that she would learn how to crochet like her sixth foster mother did. 

It wasn’t until she had aged out of foster care that she picked up a hook and followed along with online tutorials until she had her shaky first chain stitches made. 

She’d started with purple yarn, because that was her favorite yarn at the time. She switched to gray, and then to a mint green. Gray because it was the only color she could pick out in the sky some days. Mint green because she rarely ever saw that one otherwise. She cycled through other colors. She tried a rusty orange, and a navy blue, and even though neither was really her favorites, she loved the sections she made with them. She’d tried out a new stitch that looked sort of like scallop shells. 

Letting Ben choose the last color was easy. She’d run out of ideas, but still needed a bit more yarn to make the throw blanket the right length. Or so she thought. The black yarn ended the entire thing nicely. 

She wove in the ends and sighed happily, running her fingers over the entire length. Four years in the making, the stitches were uneven, but she loved every one. 

Spreading it out over their laps later that night posed a problem, though. Ben’s long limbs barely half-fit under the blanket. And now that she was looking, it probably could have used a few more skeins of yarn to finish it out. 

“Can we just pretend this is big enough?” she asked, looking up into his dark eyes. 

“Of course. I don’t like things on my feet anyway,” he promised, extending his legs and watching as his shins slipped out too. “Or my calves.” 


	13. In quarantine together/Hanker sore || for mefiora

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No Force AU, Modern AU, And they were roommates, oh my god they were roommates

Rey sighed heavily when Ben came out of the bathroom. They weren’t ever here together in the flat that often, so she never really had to see what he looked like in only a towel. 

He worked third shift, she worked first. They literally saw each other as one was leaving and the other returning. But this quarantine had pushed everything to the absolute limit and saw both of them having to work from home. 

At the same time. 

So now she saw Ben Solo in all his semi-nude glory, wearing one of her navy blue bath towels because his were still in the laundry room waiting to be washed. 

She bit her lip because she was annoyed, but shit if he wasn’t gorgeous. 

Broad shoulders, narrow waist, forearms for days. 

She was in so much trouble. There was no end in sight to their isolation. 

“Are you going to get around to doing your laundry?” she asked from her spot on the couch, staring at her laptop screen and not really seeing what was on it. 

“Eventually,” he replied. That was his standard reply to everything. 

“Because that’s my towel.” 

“You want it back?” he asked, smirking as he whipped it from his hips and tossed it at her. 

She swallowed thickly because not only did she know what her hot roommate looked like in a towel, she also knew what he looked like naked and strutting back to his bedroom to dress. 

And he knew she liked what she saw, the smug bastard. 


	14. I love a good grandpa sweater || for pop-rocks-and-skittles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No Force AU, No Powers AU, Established Relationship

Rey found what she was looking for in the back of the closet. Grinning like mad, she pulled the charcoal gray sweater on over her head. The sleeves went well past her hands, and the hem hit somewhere mid-thigh, and when she looked in the mirror, it looked as if she were wearing some sort of sweater dress instead of an actual sweater. 

When she pranced out into the living room, Ben glanced up from his book, narrowing his eyes for a moment before looking back at the book. 

“Dirty thief,” he deadpanned. 

Rey shrugged. “What can I say? I love a good grandpa-sweater.” 

“Well, I guess you can’t possibly stretch it out,” he mused. 

“I might do,” she threatened, trying like mad to catch his eye. That did it, his dark gaze leveled out from across the room. 

He looked her up and down. “Looks good on you.” 

“I know.” 

“Would look even better on the floor.” He rose to his feet. 

“Ben,” she warned, giggling and holding her hands out in a futile attempt to hold him off. Only futile because he was doing exactly what she wanted. He knew damn well she could lay him out if she chose. 

But she chose to let him win. Or at least think he had, anyway. 


	15. Life in the Fast Lane || for tune33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **_Song Prompts 2020  
> _ Life in the Fast Lane - The Eagles  
> **   
> 
> 
> Other tags: AU - No Powers, AU - Car Races, Established Relationship, Friends with Benefits

“Drive safely, Solo!” 

Ben turned around automatically to raise his hand and smile in that tight-lipped way he’d perfected over the years. Except the sound of _her_ voice threw him off and he tried to wave with the hand holding helmet under his arm, flipping it out into the air. 

She turned him into a bumbling moron. Even before they’d started fooling around, she made him feel like he had two enormous left feet. 

“Whoa, sorry about that!” Rey laughed, reaching out and catching it before it hit the pavement. “Just wanted to touch base before the race. Make sure there weren’t any hard feelings?” 

Her eyes were dark in color, but so bright it almost hurt to look at her. Especially when she was smiling. She was so pretty it was difficult to stay mad at her. Ben liked a challenge, though. 

“Why would there be?” he asked, reaching out and taking his helmet from her. He could think of at least two reasons to be upset with her though. 

They were sleeping together and she didn’t give him the time of day in public. Oh, and the fact that she’d been cutting a deal with his sponsors behind his back. That last one, though. She didn’t know he knew. They hadn’t talked about it. Honestly, he wasn’t sure if he was madder about the former or the latter. 

“Well, I mean… since your sponsors contacted me and everything…” 

Ben grit his teeth and put the helmet on his head. Surprisingly, it was the former. He was almost embarrassed by how badly he wanted her to treat him like a lover in public. Semi-public even. 

But now, of course, this was about business. He wouldn’t even have been mad if she took his sponsors if she’d just give him more than a split-second look. 

His sponsors had come to him the last time she’d finished before him and mentioned the idea of retirement. That was car-racing speak for “You’ve been here for too damn long and we want that pretty girl in our commercials now.” 

It was unspoken but understood that he had once more chance to change their minds. The Force 600 was the biggest race in the season, and if he beat her, he’d probably buy himself some time. 

“It’s not set in stone. Nothing to get excited about,” he said, keeping his voice low enough that she had to lean forward to hear him. 

“I know, but--” 

“Good luck today,” he cut her off, walking off towards his car. 

“Ben!” she called after him, but he didn’t turn back. 

* * *

As it turned out, she didn’t need his luck or anyone else’s. 

After a race where he was fighting her for third place for most of it, she cut a wide turn and stomped the gas, sliding right in front of him in the final turn of lap five hundred ninety-eight of six hundred. Clipped his front bumper and sent him spinning off into the grass and then into the concrete barrier. 

Ben lost sight of the cars after that. He climbed out of his car and pulled off his helmet, throwing it down in the dirt in front of him. But she must have squeezed ahead of the other two leaders at the last second because the paramedics were checking his head when she won. 

He wanted to be happy for her. But all he could think about was how fucking professional she was about all of this. 

Ben left the track while she was still getting photographed. When he arrived back at the garage, he shut off his phone, which already had twelve missed calls on it. His manager. His sponsors. Someone else. He didn’t care. 

Maybe he’d just fire his sponsors. Go it alone for a while. Or look for someone else. Or maybe he would hang it up. He’d been racing since he was nineteen. There were other things he wanted to do with his life. 

He was changing out of his jumpsuit when she cornered him. She had a flushed face and a bouquet of roses. “Hey, I was looking for you after the race…” 

“I’m heading home,” he said. “Congrats on your win. And the other stuff.” 

“Wait,” she called just as he was about to leave. 

He turned around and she thrust the bouquet into his hands. 

Frowning, Ben looked down at the roses. “What’s this for?” 

“For clipping you. I don’t want you to think I play dirty.” 

He snickered a little, handing the bouquet back to her. “I dunno, Rey. I think going behind my back to nick my sponsorship is a little bit dirty.” 

“I didn’t do that!” She protested, staring up at him for a long moment before she took the bouquet back. “Let me buy you dinner. We’ll talk about it.” 

He laughed again. “There’s not a damn place in this town where we’d be able to eat without getting hounded for autographs. And how would you explain why we’re dining together? Winner’s remorse?” 

She let the bouquet fall to her side. “So come over to my place, then.” 

Ben felt his brow knit as he studied her face. “I’m through being a dirty little secret, Rey.” 

Her nostrils flared like they always did when she was angry. She glanced over at the pit crew currently cleaning an area of the garage and reached for the collar of his shirt, tugging him down and kissing him. Her lips were firm against his, but he took it for what it was. A gesture. 

Proof she wasn’t looking to keep this a secret any longer. 

Ben wrapped his arm around her waist and hauled her closer. His other hand came up to stroke her cheek. She dropped the flowers on the ground and rose on her tiptoes to reach him better. Parting her lips, she bowed towards him and he heard a few wolf-whistles from across the garage. 

He was the one who broke off the kiss, peering down into her blinking eyes, her goofy grin. 

“You wanna get out of here?” he asked. 

“Depends. Are you still mad at me?” 

He sighed. “Little mad you went behind my back.” 

“I _didn’t_. They came to me. And I told them no. Four times.” 

“You did?” he asked, pausing and holding her hands in his. “It’s a good sponsor, Rey. They pay very well. They’ll probably pay you more than they paid me.” 

“I don’t play dirty, Ben,” she reminded him. 

He was silent for a long moment, silently appraising her. It wasn’t often that people surprised him. “Maybe you should.” 

“Not with you,” she countered and tugged him down for another kiss. 


	16. Anemone || for Multifarious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _****_ ****
> 
> **_Flower Language Prompts_ **
> 
> **__**
> 
> Anemone - Getting stood up for a date and then meeting someone better
> 
> Other tags: No Powers AU, Bar/Pub AU, Bartender Rey, Blind Date, Meet-Cute

“I’m going to call it,” Ben said, glancing down at his phone. “It’s been an hour and no sign of her.”

Rey slid a beer in front of him. “There ya go. On the house since you got stood up.”

“Not so loud,” he said, shooting her a wry smile. “Wouldn’t want to cause a stampede once all the women in here find out I’m still single.”

She laughed and Ben couldn’t take his eyes off her. She picked up a rag and started wiping down the bar. “I’ll be more careful next time, Ben. I promise.”

“There’s going to be a next time? Thanks for the vote of confidence.” He took a sip of his pity-beer.

“Look, I’m a nice person, but I’m only playing the odds. I’ve known you one day. And on one hundred percent of the days I’ve known you, you got stood up.”

“That’s fair. You have to play the odds.”

A man approached at the end of the bar then. “Rey. You’re done. Close out your tabs and you can head out.”

“Thanks, Poe,” she said, smiling at the man and turning towards Ben and batting her eyelashes. “Any way I could get you to close out your tab?”

He reached for his wallet. “Anything to get you outta here.” He paused, realizing how that sounded. “That came out wrong. I’m not in a hurry to get you out of here, but I figured you probably want to go home and—“

“You’re fine, Ben. I promise.” She took his card and paid his bill, returning it and the receipt to him to sign. Once he had, she finished closing out her register and left, leaving him behind to sip on his beer and get to know the new bartender. Poe, his name was.

He wasn’t under any delusions thinking Rey owed him any more than she’d given him. She talked while she was on the clock because it was what bartenders did. He could small talk with Poe until he’d finished his beer and then leave. 

Ben was about halfway finished with it when someone slid into the stool beside him.

“Hey… I was worried you would have already left.” Ben turned, surprised to see Rey sitting there. “Can I get a beer, Poe?” she asked before turning back to Ben. “Look, we have to continue our discussion on how sad your love life is. I’m invested now. I know you thought you were rid of me, but I think you’ll find I’m difficult to shake.”

“I was starting to realize that, yeah.”

“So anyway, having known you for all of three hours, I have some thoughts.”

“Let’s hear them,” he replied, taking another sip of his beer.


	17. Dilaudid || for cuthbert

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _****_ ****
> 
> **_Song Prompts 2020-21_ **
> 
> **__**
> 
> Dilaudid - The Mountain Goats
> 
> Other tags: Not Canon Compliant, Ben Solo Lives, Post Star Wars Episode 9 - The Rise of the Skywalker

Ben thought he’d died. When Rey had finally stirred, he started feeling everything go numb. But then, they’d kissed, and he felt that. 

He felt complete for the first time in his life. 

And then his eyes closed and everything went black.

He had expected to see his mother, he’d assumed she was waiting for him so they could become part of the Force together.

But nothing happened.

Every so often, things faded to a dull gray. To a fuzzy white when he tried to open his eyes.

He was certain it wasn’t the afterlife. Because he knew if it was, he’d see his mother. But instead, he saw no one.

His throat was dry, that much he knew. He wanted to ask for water, but he couldn’t seem to make his lips move.

The gray and the white slowly cleared like someone blowing smoke from a smoldering fire, until it was just wisps and he was able to make out the lights of the medbay. The itch as the bacta knit his skin back together.

He wasn’t dead. He’d already known that. Which meant… what? He was a prisoner?

In a medbay on some prison ship or prison planet?

He couldn’t be sure. He slept a lot. The Force was there, but it was almost as if it was allowing him to rest. After what he’d given to save Rey, he deserved a rest.

Until he’d had enough of the rest and opened his eyes.

Ben looked all around him, his head moving slowly. 

She was the first person he saw.

Her brown eyes grew wide when they locked on his and she started yelling, laughing. Excitedly. She sounded muffled. Far away.

Some nurse droids approached him, the shell of the med pod slid back and he felt the chill of the droid’s appendages as they checked his stats and helped him sit up. It was more tiring than he realized it would be, but then Rey’s hands were in his, her smile the only thing he could focus on.

“How are you feeling?” she asked, and he watched her lips form the words, her kiss felt like a fuzzy distant memory.

“Thirsty,” he croaked, his voice soft and airy in his dry throat.

She beckoned one of the nurse droids, asking for some water, which she quickly helped him drink, the cool liquid washing over his throat and easing the soreness he hadn’t even noticed until it was gone.

“And now?” she asked.

“Did we kiss?” he asked. “Because I thought we did, but the entire thing feels like a dream and so long ago…”

Rey chuckled.

“What?”

“It was four days ago, Ben.”

He laughed then. A muted version of hers, but then she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. “Does it feel real now?”

Ben answered by pulling her close for more.

**Author's Note:**

> Prompts are open, prompt me [here.](https://forms.gle/Zc8CNkvcaPqPmwVH8)


End file.
